Medical conference to boost Houston’s reputation in life sciences field

Each year there are dozens of medical conferences in the U.S., often held at resort destinations, such as San Francisco and Las Vegas.

However, Medical World Americas, a new conference and exposition that will be held this year in Houston, will be the first of its kind in North America. The convention will be a way for Houston to increase its presence in the life sciences industry and showcase the strength of the Texas Medical Center.

Plans for the conference have been underway since the Texas Medical Center and the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau partnered with the German organizers of Medica, the world’s largest medical conference.

Greg Ortale, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, is bullish on the possibilities for bringing such conferences to town, but he knows that it will be an uphill battle when it comes to impressing the international medical market.

“When we began advertising this meeting at a show in Dusseldorf, Germany, in 2011, people asked if we were starting a medical center in Houston” he said. “Of course, TMC has been in business for 65 years now. We need to let them know about our size, cutting-edge technology and our capacity for research. Getting that recognition will bring more medical startups and established institutions to transition here.”

The conference will present an opportunity to showcase the TMC to the world, Ortale said. Comprised of 54 different institutions extending over 1,345 acres, TMC employs more than 106,000 people. It is thus the largest, if not yet best-known, such complex in the world.

“The plenary session that has been put together is just stellar, cutting-edge,” he said. “And we’ll have the best available technology on the show floor.”

The conference will focus on the broad topics of oncology and cardiology, as well as three hospital-related subjects: acquired infections, occupational health and safety and disaster preparedness.

Preliminary estimates of the economic impact of Medical World weren’t immediately available, but sources said that they are expected to be significant.

Medical World Americas

Twitter: @MedWorldTX

When: April 28-30

Where: George R. Brown Convention Center

Expected attendance: 2,000 from 18 countries, more than 30 percent from outside the U.S.